Building control: local authorities and registered approvers

Who can act as building control

In England, there are generally two kinds of building control body:

• Local authority building control, run by your council.
• Registered building control approvers (private bodies registered with the national Building Safety Regulator), which replaced the former approved inspectors after the Building Safety Act 2022.

For some higher-risk buildings, such as certain tall residential buildings, the Building Safety Regulator itself has the role. See The Building Safety Act.

You can choose between the first two, in most cases, for each project. Fees and services differ, so compare.

Two main application routes

• Full plans. You submit detailed drawings and specifications before work starts. The body checks them and issues a decision, possibly with conditions. This is the most thorough route and is usually advisable for larger or more complex works.
• Building notice. For some smaller domestic works, you give notice that work will start, without submitting plans. It carries more risk, because problems may be found only when work is under way. It cannot be used for every kind of work.

For private bodies, the equivalent is a formal notice that they have taken on the job.

In England, there are generally two kinds of building control body:

Inspections

As work proceeds, you must notify the building control body at key points, such as:

• commencement of work;
• excavation for foundations and the foundations themselves, before concrete is placed;
• damp-proof course and oversite preparation;
• drainage before it is covered;
• structure and fire-stopping before they are hidden;
• completion.

The inspector visits and checks. Do not cover work before it has been inspected, unless the body has said you can.

Completion

When the work is finished and satisfactory, the building control body issues a completion certificate. This is a record that the work complied at the time. Keep it with your property documents, as it is often requested when selling, remortgaging or obtaining insurance.

What if work was done without approval?

If work was done without approval or inspection, you can often apply for a regularisation certificate from the local authority. The inspector may need to see work opened up. It is far better to get approval first. Take advice.

Competent people

Whoever does the work, the regulations expect that the people designing and building are competent, and that responsibilities are clear. See The Building Safety Act and CDM Regulations.

Practical tips

• Talk to building control at the start, especially for tricky details such as fire, structure and drainage.
• Keep the approved drawings on site.
• Keep a record of inspections, certificates (such as electrical and gas safe certificates) and test results.
• Do not rely on the builder alone. Check that inspections are being booked.
• Remember that building control is different from planning. See Planning permission in England.

In short

Choose a building control body, apply through the right route, book inspections, do not cover work, and keep your completion certificate. See also Building Regulations explained.

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